The Dark Side of the Full Moon
by Sullys Sidekick
Summary: June 2010 short story challenge. *AR* The idea is to combine certain photos in a logical way. Screen cap 1 – Sully peeking over Michaela's shoulder while she reads. Screen cap 2 – Matthew with stunned look on his face. Just4fun-'Twilight'/Halloween theme.


The Dark Side of the Full Moon  
>June 2010 Challenge<br>By: Tess Thieler

Note from author:

This Halloween/vampire themed story was created for fun. I promise to bring it to a logical and believable conclusion in the end so please bear with me. Enjoy! 

_'Sully was acting strange.' _

Michaela felt spooked as she pondered the thought and settled into her rocker by the hearth for an evening of leisurely reading. The uneasy feelings about her fiancé, taunted her mind, and it didn't help that she recently chose "Count Dracula" for her reading pleasure. Why did she let Myra talk her into this? Now, three-fourths of the way through this spine-tingling read, with Brian staying at Anthony's and Colleen at Becky's tonight, she found her imagination running away with her. Connecting similarities between The Count and her Sully made her head spin. 

Sully hadn't acted like himself since returning from his recent hunting trip to a mountain range he'd never been to before. He came back with an elk… and a snake bite. At least that's what she thought it was when he showed it to her. Two puncture wounds close to the base of his neck. It seemed to be healing, and there existed no infection, so Michaela told him not to worry. To top it off, Sully had no idea how he got bit, or what kind of snake it may have been. He went to sleep beneath a starry full moon sky and awoke the next morning with the bite. Physically, Sully appeared fine. Emotionally, she sensed something troubled him, but he changed the subject whenever she asked. Obviously he wanted to work the issue out for himself. 

She missed him though. Since becoming officially engaged, Sully often ate supper with her and the children. He would stay after Colleen and Brian went to bed to enjoy a cup of tea with her. Saying good night at the door now took longer and longer. Smiling at the thought of Sully's kisses, Michaela breathed deeply. She wished to be in his arms again. The sweet memory faded along with her smile when she acknowledged it'd been two weeks since he'd joined them for supper. Realizing she'd been staring out the window at the full moon peeking through some clouds, deep in her confused thoughts about her fiancé instead of finishing the book, she shook her head to refocus. She promised Matthew he could borrow "Count Dracula" tonight. Thirty pages to go – she best get to it. 

A short while later, a cryptic feeling hung over her - the feeling of being watched tempted to overpower her logic. She dismissed a sudden chill feeling certain it resulted from the haunting vampire scene she just digested.  
>"Good eeeevening…"<br>Michaela stilled. Her face paled momentarily until she glanced over her shoulder and witnessed her beloved fiancé stooping behind her.

"Sully…" She smiled as she looked at him. He was finally here. Oh, how she missed him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't hear you come in. I was reading."  
>"I've been waiting for you to finish." His usual soothing voice carried an uncharacteristic edge to it.<br>"Oh? I already promised it to Matthew, but I'm sure he won't take too long to read it."  
>"I already read it."<br>"So that's what's been keeping you busy in the evenings this past month."  
>"Um-hm." He hovered closer. "Go on… finish it," he encouraged her. "Then we can talk about it."<br>"I'd like that."  
>Michaela resumed reading. It was hard for her to focus with Sully's warm breath sweeping across her ear along with his fingers gliding through her hair. He must have really missed her, too.<br>"Sully, please… I'm almost done."  
>His lips now sought her neck, moving in massaging circles causing tingles to travel down to her toes. "Sully…"<br>"You said please," he murmured with a chuckle against her now moist skin.  
>"You're incorrigible," she accused now holding the book to the side where she redirected her eyes as her insatiable fiancé continued his ministrations. Finishing a novel had never been this much of a challenge. "Finished."<p>

Sully now bestowed gentle kisses along her jaw line as his body moved in front of her. Stooping, he rested his forearms across her thighs. His eyes appeared dark, almost fathomless, and the intimacy of his touch put Michaela on edge. She always knew Sully to be a passionate person, but tonight she felt devoured by his eyes.  
>"Did you like the book?" he asked in a husky tone.<br>"I'm not sure – it was different."  
>"That's what I liked about it," he confirmed. "It opened my mind to the dark side." He grinned at her suggestively. With his arms still folded across her lap, he traced the outside of her thighs with his fingertips.<br>Rattled, Michaela fought to focus. She didn't want to be sharp with him – it's been a full month since he's paid her an evening visit, but his actions unnerved her. She gathered her wits. "I don't know I believe all this about the dark side."  
>"You don't?"<br>When she shook her head, Sully shifted to his knees, grinning at her like a cat cornering a mouse. His arms unfolded with his movement and now came to rest alongside of her hips. Cool, adventurous hands rounded the sides of her tiny waist. "What don't you find believable?"  
>His face hovered closer now, his eyes drinking her in. She felt edible. "W-well… i-it's fiction."<br>"So?" He inched even closer – so close that his hips pressured her knees apart. "Everyone knows that fiction can be based on fact." 

The clouds suddenly shifted and bright moonlight streamed through the window casting light and shadow on the man hovering over her. He moistened his lips with a seductive sweep of his tongue then, sleek as a panther, devoured her unsuspecting lips. The rocker creaked as it tipped back with his continued aggressions. This wasn't HER Sully! Why Michaela felt so powerless, she didn't know, but she didn't seem to possess an ounce of strength when it came to defending herself. She attempted to struggle, but couldn't break his overpowering kiss. Consumed in a heady daze, she felt close to losing consciousness… then he let her come up for air while feasting on the soft skin beneath her jaw. The rocker tipped back even more now as she used every bit of strength she could muster against his advances. "Stop!" 

Obediently, Sully ceased his actions, drawing back just enough to gaze into her explicitly enraged eyes. "Still don't find it believable?" he taunted in a deep tone.  
>"No," she stated with conviction until he laughed sinisterly, his exposed teeth revealing enlarged incisors. Michaela's blood ran cold. Paralyzed with fear, she felt the weight of his body forcefully mold her into the rocker. His strong hands held her arms in place as the rocker creaked and again tipped backwards under their combined weight then splintered beneath them as they crashed to the floor. Sully didn't even seem to notice. There was no stopping him. His full weight enveloping her now, she writhed defensively, acknowledging in horror his groan of desire as his open mouth targeted her neck. Michaela screamed. <p>

Matthew knocked on the homestead door several times, waiting for Dr. Mike to answer. With the town abuzz about this new novel, he couldn't wait to read it. Figuring she must have gone to bed early, disappointed, he turned to go. He'd pick up the book tomorrow. Urgent exasperating screams from within suddenly made Matthew's blood run cold. "Dr. Mike!" He thrust his weight again and again against the door until the lock gave. "Dr. Mike!" 

As he burst into the homestead, Michaela leaped from the rocker screaming hysterically. Matthew's eyes grew wide as saucers and he held his breath when a heavy book sailed right passed his head.

"Dr. Mike!"  
>"Matthew?" Realization finally dawned and she shook herself free from the encompassing darkness. Striving to slow her heartbeat, she approached her son who stood frozen in place.<br>"Dr. Mike… are you alright?"  
>She embraced him. "Oh, Matthew, I'm so sorry. I could have hurt you."<br>"What's wrong?"  
>"Just a dream… a very horrible, terrible, bad dream." She felt angry for allowing a silly book to get to her. Releasing him, she collected the novel she attempted to assault him with and handed it to him.<br>"You're finished?"  
>She nodded. "Close enough. Just take it Matthew – I don't want it back."<br>"You sure?"  
>"Quite sure."<br>"You didn't like it then?"  
>She released a breath of relief. "Let's just say it's not exactly what I expected. But it's written well… perhaps too well."<br>"Thanks, Dr. Mike. Good-night then." He happily bounded down the steps and headed for his sleeping quarters in the barn.  
>Michaela watched him go, still reeling from the encompassing nightmare. As she turned to shut the door, she noticed the full moon taunting her. Sully may be away on a hunting trip, but she was taking no chances. "For peace of mind to ensure a good night's sleep," she told herself aloud as she locked the door… then jammed a chair beneath the knob for good measure.<p>

~ ~ ~


End file.
